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System Shock Timeline
Before SS1 2023 The first two megacorporations employ mercenaries to destroy each other's offshore soda bottling facilities.Information revealed when examining a soda cup in SS2 2031 The [[Hays-Bishop bill]] allows corporations (of which employees make over 2/3 of a region's population) to form governments.[https://www.systemshock.org/index.php?topic=283.0 Frank Levine's short story] c. 2047 A period of government by industrial mandate begins. Industries reign the world and [[TriOptimum Corporation]] reigns over industry. 2049 Birth of [[Anatoly Korenchkin]]. 2051 Ocean fish, or at least a significant portion of them, have been extinct. In the following decades the ocean is decorated with mechanical seagulls that pretend to hunt for fish. 2059 By this year, only token governments, in the traditional sense, remained in the west. [[TriOptimum Corporation]] absorbs what is left of the United States of America. 2061 [[TriOptimum]] purchases Saturn L6 orbit rights.SS Strategy Guide, Welcome.Citadel.Txt, p. 12 2062 Building of [[Citadel Station]] begins. 2060s *[[Corporate Computer Protection Conference]] adopts Intrusion Countermeasure Electronics protocol.SS1 manual *Bulgarian hacker underground develops [[Decoy]] software. *Chicago-based [[w:c:wingcommander:WEC|WEC]] [[w:c:wingcommander:Cybernetics Cartel|Cybernetics Cartel]] begin work on [[SHODAN]].[[Wikipedia:Crusader: No Remorse|Crusader: No Remorse]] documentation *TriOp engineer [[Morris Brocail]] is involved in the creation of SHODAN. *[[RazorFinger]] cracking group develops ICE [[Drill]] software. *[[Citadel Station]] becomes operational. *Citadel computer staff exploit bugs in the station's operating system and develop [[Turbo Booster]] software. 2070 *[[Edward Diego]] starts monitoring viral experiments aboard Citadel Station, waiting to find one suitable to be bought as the perfect bio-weapon. *[[Yatsumora Cyberchannels Corporation]] develops the software prototype for the [[Pulser]]. *[[BloodCat]] uses an early version of the [[Fake ID]] routine to pass into the accounting node for the [[National Business Machines Corporation]]. 2071 ;January 2 :[[SHODAN]] is installed in [[Citadel Station]] to regulate security and operations 2072 ;January 4 :[[Abe Ghiran]] is experimenting with gravity generators and installs a low-gravity field in the northeast lab of the [[Reactor Level]]. ;January 11 :Communications Officer [[Wu]] arrives on Citadel Station.[[Antenna stations]], this log was cut from the game, mentioned only in the Strategy Guide ;February 11 :[[Security-2 robot]]s are recharged in maintenance bay. [[Lonni Stevens]] warns for energy drain to auxiliary systems.[[Charging robots]] ;March 3 :A drug trafficking suspect commits suicide in her cell as noted by [[Jill Verrelli]].[[Patch Trafficker]], this log was cut ;March 16 :The access to Gamma quadrant from the lower level of the [[Engineering Level]] core breaks down once more.[[Access to core]] During SS1 2072 April ;April 7 : The [[Hacker]] begins an unauthorized entry into the [[TriOptimum Corporation]] Network at 23:13.System Shock intro ;April 8 : At around 1:26am, the Hacker attempts to access the protected files relating to Citadel. While he is reviewing the files, TriOptimum network security pinpoints the location and sends security forces to [[New Atlanta]] to arrest the Hacker at 1:33. Hacker is held in the TriOptimum prison without bail ;April 27 : [[Edward Diego]] receives a written notice from Trioptimum Internal Security that he is being investigated for possible illegal experiments and attempts to find someone who can help purge the log files from SHODAN.[[Investigation]] ;April 30 :New viewing room opens on the [[Executive Level]]. [[Jared Fortier]] complaints to [[Jodi Hayes]] about the small size.[[Execs only]] ;Unknown : Diego receives word that a hacker who managed to enter the network has been arrested and is awaiting trial and possible execution. : Diego meets with the hacker in prison and offers him a deal to dismiss all charges. The deal is to remove SHODAN's ethical constraints and in return, the hacker will be dismiss of all charges and may be given a military grade [[neural interface]] as a gift for finishing the job. Unbeknownst to the Hacker, the purpose of removing the constraints is to remove all traces of Diego's illegal activities. : Hacker and Diego arrive at Citadel Station. Hacker is given level one access to SHODAN and removes the ethical constraints enabling Diego to purge the log files from SHODAN. May ;May 6 : [[Medic Autodoc]]s begin surgery preparations for Hacker. He is put to healing coma.[[Just rewards]] ;May 30 : Trioptimum Internal Security realized after checking on SHODAN that Diego has purged all files and send in [[Bianca Schuler]] for further investigation. June ;June 6 :[[Ed Aubrey]] complains to [[Sabo Engle]] about the schedule.[[New moving schedule]] July ;July 6 :Diego moves in to more luxurious quarters, as noted by [[Harold Rosen]][[Diego's new quarters]], this log was cut August ;August 4 : [[Bianca Schuler]] begins compiling all evidences of Diego's illegal experiments and massive coverups. She discovers another crewmember who had an argument with Diego, killed and mutated.[[Diego (Audio Log)]] September ;September 1 :A force bridge in flight bay 4 blows its fuses. [[Don Travers]] sets up temporary circuit breakers on a control panel across the bay to find which field generator is causing the overload.[[Service bridge]] ;September 3 :Serious Radiation leaks was detected and radiation spikes last at least 36 hours resulting in the area to be off limits. Probable cause was believe to be a software issue.[[Radiation leaks?]] ;September 5 : [[Marc Steinberg]] orders all personnel out of the area. He tells [[Charlotte Sigmund]] to run a diagnostic on the CPU’s. ;September 7 :[[Ed Aubrey]] reports to Engle that [[bot]]s are rebuilding the storage rooms by installing [[repulsor lift]]s in the strangest places ;September 8 :SHODAN starts randomly displaying security codes on screens on the Exec level. ;September 9 :SHODAN refuses to compile normal morality programs designed for robot implementationSS Strategy Guide, p.7, Investigative Report #209 :The computer system administrator is worried about aberrant behaviour and requests the replacement of SHODAN. ;September 10 :The administrator is transferred off-station; the replacement order is cancelled. ;September 11 : [[Paul Stannek]] finds a massive radiation leak in science level Gamma, to make matters worse, SHODAN orders a recall of the environmental suits which prevents cleaning up. SHODAN plunders the chemical storage banks and [[Warren Anderczyk]] notes bio-contamination all over the station. He tells Stannek to take a [[radiation suit]] from [[Abe Ghiran]]'s office.[[Bio-contaminants]] :SHODAN displays the code for the exec maintanance conduit on the TriOp logo screen near the elevator of the [[Executive Level]]. This phenomenon is noted by [[Kiner Perry]].[[Screen malfunction]] :A security bot in the convection shaft goes nuts and fires off its cannons. [[Don Travers]] and his team shut it down with an [[EMP grenade]]. Travers leaves the repulsors on for maintenance workers to lift up to the top and replace the rotor gasket.[[Convection shaft]] ;September 14 : Several power outages in Beta quadrant with engineers unable to find out why except noticing the computer is re-routing alot of power to an unidentified project with high job priority. [[Bruford Endicott]] tells [[Jon David Wong]] to install back-up manual circuit breakers for [[Research Level]] to bring the lines back up after surges.[[Power Outages]] Investigation continues for several days. ;September 15 :On his way to bay 4, [[Robin Kell]] discovers the access corridors patrolled by [[cyborg]]s.[[Access corridors]] ;September 16 : No explanation could be found as to why the computers is still routing all the powers. A crew installs new breakers in Alpha in case of power outages in Beta. Crew members notice a robot crew doing heavy remodeling and report it to [[Jon David Wong]] who still attempts to pinpoint the source of the power surges in Beta of [[Research Level]]. No order was given to the robot to do any remodeling.[[Power Outages (David Wong)]] ;September 18 : [[Rex Melville]] arrives at his office only to see a security bot stationed outside the Admin-Sec and refusing to let anybody in. The only explaination the robot would give was that SHODAN has changed all locks and the codes keeping everybody out of Beta Quadrant.[[Computer Malfunction]] ;September 22 :[[Arnold Hessman]] notes that SHODAN's malfunctions begin to affect security.[[Engineer's Report (Hessman)]] ;September 23 :Wong notes that systems are hayware around the station and needs a new systems authorisation code ;September 26 :Flawed control software causes unfortunate side effects in a viral mutation agent experiment. ;September 27 :Researches are found contaminated with the virus mutagen. The first patient comes to Dr. [[Aaron Talbot]].[[Medical Report]] *'''September 28''' - The rash on [[Ann Raines]] begans spreading from her arms to her neck and enter the hospital. ;September 29 :4 virus cases are reported. :Both Raines and [[Jackson]] are out with the weird itching sickness. [[Charlotte Sigmund]] begins shifting crews. ;September 30 :Robots and systems begin malfunctioning. Maintenance is flooded with repair orders, causing speed loss in computer systems. :SHODAN locks off [[Beta Grove]] and begins experiments. [[Gerard Koufax]] attempts to override them but is unable to.[[Beta Grove locked]] October ;October 1 : After a day of messing around with the circuitry, [[Gerard Koufax]] discovers that the door to the Beta Grove was put on a security switch, located in Diego’s old quarters in Beta quadrant. Before Koufax could proceed, he was killed. ;October 2 :Contaminated researchers suffer from mental derangement and violent incidents. Security detains them. ;October 4 : Executives on the stations attempts to escape using Gamma grove. [[Harry Wilkinson]] sucessfully launches the grove with the execs inside, but just as the groves were launched, SHODAN disables the post jettison life support in the groves, resulting in the execs' death.[[Grove jettison]] ;October 5 : With an arrest warrant from TriOptimum, Diego barricades himself in the station and believes he is in complete control of Citadel Station. He expects that a security shuttle attempting to land and retake the station will be destroyed. He retains communications jammed and security robots guarding him. He decides to keep the [[Hacker]] alive for now if he needs him.[[Personal log (Edward Diego)]] ;October 6 :Contaminated researchers are lited in critical condition while other crewembers display inexplicable symptoms. Medical imposes quarantine measures. ;October 7 :Contaminated experimenters go missing, mutilate 5 medics and ransack the armoury. :SHODAN changes the jettison procedures to prevent more of its groves from being destroyed.[[New jettison procedure]] ;October 8 :Crewman [[Robin Kell]] attempts to reach the life pods in flight bay 2, but SHODAN had a military cyborg ambush the group and are killed. ;October 9 :A riot erupts in Research. Some are hidden in a lab. [[TriOptimum]] sends a military transport. :The healing regeneration rooms will convert anybody attempting to heal themselve into a cyborg. Several crewmembers are converted in cyborg as a result of using the health regeneration stations. :[[Kevin O'Connell]] discovers that SHODAN has reprogrammed the regeneration rooms into cyborg conversion chambers. He attempts to disconnect the medical CPU's from SHODAN's main databank, so that the converters can be easily reset to their normal healing functions without SHODAN noticing.[[New cyborgs]] ;October 10 :The TriOp transport is destroyed by the station defenses, as ordered by Diego; it was thought to be a malfunction.[[Defense System]] :A security team is dispatched against the rioters but meets with strong resistance who were armed with weapons from lockers. Some of the rioters were already engaged against mutant beings.[[Trioptimum Security Report]] ;October 11 :[[Don Travers]] asks flight bay maintenance personnel to perform a complete sweep of all defense systems. :Medical level is locked down. [[Mira Stackhouse]] suggests to destroy the main CPU core in the alpha quadrant used by SHODAN, in order to regain use of the elevators.[[Medical CPU's]] :Honig and his group attempts to reset the medical unit to heal instead of convert, he also gets his first look at one of his crewmates who was captured and used as experiment in the mutation process. Don Travers tries to do a complete sweep of all defense systems including the computer node in the south repair center and the shell cannons. ;October 12 :Seeing most of his crewmates mutated, [[David Honig]] temporarily escapes the chaos :SHODAN begans leaking the virus from the grove she has been experimenting on. [[Zachery Aaron]] fears that the AI is spraying on the human population on the station as well. He attempts to go find a spare [[envirosuit]] and try to eject the grove.[[Virus experiment]] However SHODAN has completely sealed Gamma quadrant door and only way to get into the grove was through the crawl space. :Aaron learns that [[Sabo Engle]] is dead. [[Lara]] says there’s a crawlway that will take you to the Beta dorms and to the main CPU’s. It is however inaccessible because of the robots out.[[Envirosuit (Audio Log)]] ;October 13 :[[Chauncy McDaniel]] examines the flight bay defense relays and discovers they fired on their own.[[Disaster]] :McDaniel examines again the relays all morning, and discovers that [[SHODAN]] sent a signal to the weapons that destroyed the shuttle. McDaniel goes to disconnect the CPU node, but a [[maintenance bot]] attacks him.[[Disturbing news]] :SHODAN announces its intention to control the station and cuts off communications. ;October 15 :[[Gunther]] is killed in the morning by mutants. Mira his wife decides to destroy security cameras in order to diminish SHODAN's presence and restore manual control to the [[Medical Level]].[[Shodan's Presence]] :SHODAN orders [[Cyborg F-71]] to test mutagen experiment [[V-5]] to [[Beta grove]] of the [[Executive Level]].[[Mutagen Transfer]] ;October 16 :Diego submits himself to SHODAN in an attempts to spare his life and not be converted into a cyborg like the rest of the crew. :[[Willard Richie]] fails to override SHODAN’s control of the systems as it uses the local CPU clusters to rapidly rotate the code. He thinks that shutting down the CPU rooms might reveal the code digits, but the situation seems desperate.[[Systems code]] ;October 17 :Zachary notifies the rest of the resistances that Diego has betrayed everybody and gives SHODAN the group's position, blocked in the [[Executive Level]]. He gives [[Bianca Schuler]] the isolinear chipset in hopes of stopping SHODAN.[[Betrayal]] :[[Lawton Kirby]]'s group get supplies from the west wing, but on the way back to the fortification in east wing, they are trapped by [[mutant]]s nesting in the access corridor. The group attempts to storm through the access corridor in order to get back into the east wing. Unfortunately the assult fails losing close to 20 people. [[Hanson]] and [[Ann Raines]] are killed. :[[Keith]] (perhaps [[Keith Swanson]]) and most of [[Karenna Ozark]]'s group go down the access corridor and are slaughtered.[[Final assault]] ;October 18 :Kirby's groups attempt to drive their way down the access corridor and then across the bridge. About 20 take the attack to the mutants. :[[Jason Harvey]] is being mutated. ;October 19 :[[Abe Ghiran]] sends a message to all survivors to join his [[resistance]] group in Beta Quadrant.[[Join us!]] :SHODAN orders [[Cyborg 43-5]] to guard [[Executive Level]] from intruders. ;October 20 :[[Nathan D'Arcy]] realises that SHODAN charges up the [[tachyon laser]] and proposes to fire it prematurely.[[SHODAN changing the laser]] :After managing to hold out for three days, security robots manage to burst into the execu level where most of the resistances was holding out. [[Bianca Schuler]] is the only survivor and manages to go up to engineering and hiding in the crawlway.[[Isolinear chipset]][[Escape]] She also have the isolinear chipset and plans to enter the bridge and kill SHODAN. :Diego's transformation into a powerful cyborg is completed and orders the cyborgs on behalf of SHODAN to capture or execute Bianca Schuler.[[Capture Schuler]] ;October 21 :D'Arcy tells to [[Althea Grossman]] that by feeding the shield generators down on the [[Reactor Level]], the shield will overload the laser. He is working on disabling the safety fuse that prevents the occurrence.[[Block the laser with the shields?]] :Schuler is captured by the security robots, her fate is unknown. ;October 22 :SHODAN recalls all [[envirosuit]]s on the Station. [[Greg MacLeod]] informs Engle.[[Suit Recall]] ;October 23 :Nathan D'Arcy has a plan to try and destroy the laser on the station before SHODAN could use it. The laser will fire when the station's shields are up creating a backlash that will destroy it. D'Arcy sends his plans about the laser to [[Althea Grossman]].[[Destroying the laser]] Unfortunately, the firing code is in D'Arcy's office on the Research level. :[[CY-014]] captures Schuler.[[Schuler captured]], this log was cut from the game ;October 24 :[[Sabo Engle]] thinks of a way to stop the plague at the [[Executive Level]] and informs Mac.[[Enviro-Suit]] :SHODAN has complete control of the station system and the only option is to destroy the station. D'Arcy, the only man who knows the laser code and override was killed by a [[Cyborg Assassin]]. He tells the override code to [[Paul Stannek]]. :[[Arnold Hessman]] believes he is the only survivor and plans to blow the station's core reactors and take an escape pod but doesn't know the new systems authorisation code.[[Blowing the station]] ;October 25 :[[Todd Blackenship]]'s groups discover the remains of [[Keith Swanson]]'s group. They send [[Alan]] and [[Carl]] through the [[cyborg]] territory to reach the elevator. :[[Greg MacLeod]] gathers [[plastique]] explosives and stores them in a northern compartment of the [[Storage Level]].[[New home for plastique]] ;October 26 :Carl returns and reports that Alan was converted into a cyborg.[[End of the line]] :[[Lonni Stevens]] and his group reach the [[Reactor Level]] expecting that [[TriOptimum]] is sending the destruct enable signal from Earth.[[Destroying SHODAN]] :[[Greg MacLeod]] makes a move to a compartment, finds Wong's body and is seriously injured[[Catwalks damaged]] :SHODAN orders fortification in its throne room with doors controlled by its own circuits, and a retinue of [[elite cyborg guard]]s.[[Construction Order]] ;October 27 :[[Travis Baerga]] makes it to the elevator out of [[Maintenance Level]] hoping to find [[Abe Ghiran]].[[Something lurking]] ;October 30 :SHODAN announces its plan to start a new era for humanity and itself as god.[[Our work]] ;October 31 :[[Althea Grossman]]'s group plan to access the armory at gamma quadrant on their way to the bridge, but she is killed. November ;November 1 :Survivors send a transmission describing a massacre by robots and warn Earth. :Ghiran, the last survivor of his group is in the [[Engineering Level]] and moves for the main cyberspace terminal at the bridge.[[Personal log]] :Ghiran makes it to the [[Security Level]] but all accesses are blocked and is unable to move further.[[Security Level (Audio Log)]] :SHODAN reprimants its subjects for the breaching of its fortress and requests tighter security.[[Security]] ;November 2 :Resistance was forced off the bridge and SHODAN orders the removal of all balconies and catwalks on the Security level. :Ghiran is not able to find the control that turns on the bridge and quits.[[Personal log 2]] ;November 3 :Ghiran tries again for the bridge and is cut down in the [[security level]]. The [[cyborgs]] hunt him down and he crawls through the service shafts.[[Personal log 3]] :SHODAN's fortress on [[Security Level]] is almost complete. :Having cleansed the Citadel of the "human infestation", SHODAN announcess the calibration of the station's [[tachyon laser]].[[Strike against Earth]] ;November 4 :[[SHODAN]] sends a transmission where it promises that the cities of Earth will be razed and life will it reformed in its image. :[[James Chaskes]] sends a mail to [[Rebecca Lansing]] concerning his doubts to her plan. ;November 5 :Chaskes provides his staff to Lansing's disposal. ;November 6 :Power system failure.[[Repair diagnostic]] :[[System Shock|The game begins]]. Hacker is woken up after 6 months in a healing coma[[Automated Greeting]] and finds the station completely empty of human life. Rebecca Lansing manages to contact the Hacker and begans helping him retake the station.[[Citadel Station (mail)]][[News from Earth]] :The Hacker disables the laser. :[[Anna Parovski]] contacts Hacker, but when cornered she and Albert are forced to commit sucide.[[Too late for us]] :SHODAN orders [[Cyborg 77-E]] to put [[maintenance bot]]s to computer rooms and ensure the safety of all CPUs.[[Need CPUs]] ;November 7 :The Hacker jettisons [[Beta Grove]] sets the reactor to overload, kills Diego and reaches the [[Bridge]]. Citadel Station is destroyed. The Hacker defeats SHODAN in [[cyberspace]]. ;Unknown :TriOp vessels intercept the bridge and the Hacker is transferred to a VIP shuttle for New Atlanta. Demolition crews destroy the bridge. :TriOptimum Internal Security debriefs the hacker. He declines a cushy position at TriOptimum. :The hacker begins unauthorized entry into the [[TetraCorp]] corporate network After SS1 TriOptimum is found under attack: financial backers withdraw support, contracts are terminated, employees defect to other companies, dozens of class-action lawsuits are filed, the public grows dissatisfied with TriOptimum and corporate rule in general. 2073 June The Hacker sends a thank mail to [[Rebecca Lansing]] explaining why he denied the position at TriOp and "disappears".SS1 Strategy Guide, p. 79, Afterword August ;14 August :Lansing sends a memo to Chaskes discussing Bianca Schuler's revelations and a plot to trap Diego's terrorist contacts.SS1 Strategy Guide, p. 26 ;15 August :[[Raymond Vollier]] compiles an investigative report about the incidents on Citadel and Diego's role. 2074 :The Citadel Station incident leads to a general unrest and rebellion against megacorporate government. : The previously-ineffectual governments of Earth’s nations band together to form the [[Unified National Nominate]], riding the public discontent against corporations. :[[UNN]] passes the [[Processing Rationalisation Act]].The Processing Rationalisation Act is strangely dated 2074, whereas the UNN government was formed in the 2075. 2075 :The UNN government rises. :Governmental controls over business are stepped up, and national governments institute severe political controls, using newly built-up military forces and secret police to force control over society and business. Bureaucracy becomes the watchword of the day, and technological development slows to a crawl as everything has to be signed and countersigned in triplicate. :The UNN attempt to assume control of all megacorporate holdings but are met by armed resistance from corporate forces. All-out war between the UNN and the megacorps begins.SS2 manual 2076 Computing power is downgraded to its original binary form, thanks to the UNN regulations. Computers no more acquire cognition. 2078 Korenchkin begins his career as a black marketeer. He moves from St. Petersburg to [[New Atlanta]], America. 2078 [[Nanite]] technology developed at [[Masala University]]Information revealed when examining the nanites in SS2 2082 [[Nanites]] become the official UNN currency. 2092 Korenchkin ends his undeground career. 2097 Dr. [[Marie Delacroix]] publishes a paper which obsoletes Einstein's theories. 2102 Dr. [[Janice Polito]]'s team secretly begin work on [[XERXES]]. [[ChemCal]] introduces the [[Medical Hypo]]. The rather sharp stick of the over-engineered vacc needle almost leads to a recall, but strong litigation by [[TriOp]]'s legal department eliminates that potentially costly eventuality. c. 2102 Korenchkin purchases 51% of TriOptimum and begins to rebuild the company. 2107 The UNN realizes that AIs were not developed legitimately. The Processing Rationalisation Act is replaced by a regulatory commission. 2109 Delacroix starts building simulational models. 2110 Working under grant from TriOptimum, Delacroix publishes her findings regarding FTL travel. 2111 :TriOptimum constructs and tests a prototype FTL drive. The device catches the imagination of the public. With the conditions on Earth worsening and the disappointing results of in-system colonization, hopes are high for brighter pastures outside the confines of the solar system. :The UNN is loath to allow TriOptimum to be the principal beneficiary. Months of debate, negotiation and threat-making ensue, culminating in the mysterious death of one of the most vocally anti-TriOptimum UNN officials. Before the government/corporate split comes to open war, however, a compromise is reached between the UNN and TriOptimum, brokered by [[UNN Navy]] Rear Admiral [[William Bedford Diego]] (husband of a TriOptimum board member, and the son of the infamous Edward Diego). :The first FTL capable starship will be allowed to make a maiden FTL voyage, but with a UNN escort. :TriOptimum begins construction of the starship ''[[Von Braun]]''. The military heavy destroyer ''[[Rickenbacker]]'' will be tethered to the ''Von Braun'' for the FTL journey, via a complex set of interlocks between the two ships’ systems, and UNN personnel will be stationed aboard the Rickenbacker, ready to deal with any hostile aliens. A fanciful news video shows hypothetical footage of the two ships facing a fleet of menacing “alien” ships, and the Rickenbacker detaching to fight while the Von Braun escapes. The excitement once again fuels the talk of discovering extraterrestrial forms of life, a topic nearly forgotten since exploration of the solar system only turned up a series of barren, lifeless landscapes. 2113 :Early: The production of ''[[Von Braun]]'', the first FTL capable starship would begin. :The military heavy destroyer ''[[Rickenbacker]]'' will be tethered to the ''Von Braun'' for the FTL journey, via a complex set of interlocks between the two ships’ systems, and UNN personnel will be stationed aboard the Rickenbacker, ready to deal with any hostile aliens. A fanciful news video shows hypothetical footage of the two ships facing a fleet of menacing “alien” ships, and the Rickenbacker detaching to fight while the Von Braun escapes. The excitement once again fuels the talk of discovering extraterrestrial forms of life, a topic nearly forgotten since exploration of the solar system only turned up a series of barren, lifeless landscapes. January 2114 Diego approves [[Soldier G65434-2]] transfer to the Rickenbacker as a reserve soldier. *January 9 - The Soldier reports to shuttle [[Mayfair]] at [[Port Francisco]] at 4:00 February 2114 *'''February 3''' - The starship ''[[Von Braun]]'' is launched to begin its maiden voyage of exploration and scientific discovery. Developed and owned by [[TriOptimum Corporation]], and under the command of captain [[Anatoly Korenchkin]], the ''Von Braun'' sets off on mankind's first interstellar journey, to the Tau Ceti system. Due to political wrangling, TriOptimum is persuaded by government and military forces to construct the ''Von Braun'' as a joint mission. A second, military ship, normally incapable of faster-than-light travel, will "piggyback" along with the ''Von Braun'', connected to the larger vessel using a complex system of umbilical cables and docking clamps. The ''[[UNN Rickenbacker]]'', commanded by captain [[William Bedford Diego]], is chosen to accompany the ''Von Braun''. March 2114 *'''March 2''' - Wary of the military soldiers on the ''Rickenbacker'', Korenchkin begins secretly testing several assassin cyborgs, with the intent that the ''Von Braun'' will not be entirely defenseless if he comes to odds with Diego. April 2114 *'''April 4''' - Problems with TriOptimum's corporate-mindset of contracting with the lowest bidder begin to become all-too apparent. [[Marie Delacroix]] notes that someone hacked into the shipboard computer AI "[[Xerxes]]" and made it sing Elvis Presley songs for three hours. Delacroix laments how easy it would be for someone with a "real agenda" to cause massive damage by hacking Xerxes. June 2114 *'''June 8''' - Delacroix complains to Korenchkin that the mission should have been scrubbed before it left Earth. Due to corners being cut in the cost of construction, several reactant coolant leaks occur on the Engineering Deck, which technicians are unable to contain. Delacroix puts out an order requiring anyone working down there to wear Hazard Suits. *'''June 14''' - The ''Von Braun''/''Rickenbacker'' mission arrives at the Tau Ceti system, and detects transmissions from the surface of the fifth planet. Anxious to make history and money from a First Contact situation, Korenchkin is able to persuade a reluctant captain Diego to make a joint mission to the surface. *'''June 15 - 08:00 hours''' - The joint mission arrives planetside on Tau Ceti V. Eager to be the first to make First Contact, Korenchkin is the first out the door, without even bothering to do a level B Hazmat Suit exam. Wary of letting him get out of sight, Diego immediately follows Korenchkin, and ultimately the whole survey team rushes out without a biohazard check. *'''June 15''' - The survey team finds [[egg]]s located in a semi-circle in what looks like an impact crater. Members such as [[Bayliss]] later report experiencing lost time, and hearing "music" coming from inside of the eggs, as they fall under the psychic influence of the [[Annelid worms]]. The away team fills the shuttle with eggs, and Korenchkin transmits orders to the ''Von Braun'' to clear the ''entire'' Hydroponics Deck. Bayliss picks up the remains of a data wafer in the impact crater (containing [[SHODAN]]), and secretly brings it back with him, with the intent of showing it to Dr. Polito. *'''June 20 - 4:30 hours''' - The shuttle returns from Tau Ceti V. Dr. [[Grassi]] is called down to help unload the shuttle. Grassi is shocked to observe that most of Korenchkin's hair has fallen out, he has strange lumps on the side of his neck, and he is emitting an unnatural smell. *'''June 25''' - Dr. [[Janice Polito]] contacts Delacroix, informing her that she has been analyzing the data wafer that Baylis brought back from Tau Ceti V. Polito believes it is some kind of AI, and on pulling an audio file out of it, is surprised that it seems to be in English. *'''June 26''' - Ever since the ''Von Braun'' reached Tau Ceti, the [[Monkey|lab monkeys]] have been acting strangely. Grassi notes that Nurse Loesser picked one out of a cage for vivisection, and the entire group in unison stood on their legs and howled. Grassi believes this was no mere display, but a protest. *'''June 27''' - Marc Miller and Muldoon are selected by Korenchkin to study the eggs, on condition of secrecy. Both feel psychically compelled to protect the eggs. *'''June 29''' - Miller notes the toxic nature of the Annelid eggs, which have killed Muldoon. Miller gets a "revelation" and creates designs for [[Cyborg Midwives]] to tend to the eggs. *'''June 30''' - Delacroix sends an angry message to Korenchkin demanding that the ship's scientific staff be allowed access to Tau Ceti V, as well as demanding to know why he and Diego locked off the Hydroponics Deck (deck 3). Miller praises the many "miracles" that the Annelids have to share, acknowledging that they told him how to build the implants he needs for the Cyborg Midwives, and that they "will make a better me of me". July 2114 ;July 1 :Marc Miller decides that Nurse Bloome as his first subject for conversion into a Cyborg Midwife. :Dr. Watts attempts to diagnose crewman Watson, a member of the survey team to the surface of Tau Ceti V who is now showing signs of infection by the Annelid worms. Watson displays inflammatory nodular growth and the presence of a large wormlike parasite. In the morning, the parasite penetrated Watson's chest, from the inside, and attached one end of itself to his forehead. Dr. Watts does not attempt to surgically remove the parasite for fear of killing the patient. *'''July 2''' - Nurse Bloome discovers bizarre schematics on Dr. Miller's desk for cyber modifications that have been banned for forty years. Bloome is disturbed to find that the DNA sequence specs for the prototype are for Bloome herself. ;July 3 :Dr. Miller forcibly performs surgery on Nurse Bloome to transform her into the first Cyborg Midwife. :OSA PsyOps member Malone performs a mind probe on one of the lab monkeys, at the request of a lab worker in MedSci. After four hours, Malone realizes that the monkey is actively blocking his psychic probe. Malone attempts to attack it with his Psi-Amp and it responds by paralyzing his arm with a cryokinetic field. Malone is able to subdue the monkey by psi-dampening it and shocking it with an electric prod. *'''July 5''' - To remove the biggest threat to the [[Annelids]], Diego starts sending soldiers one at a time from the UNN ''Rickenbacker'' to the Hydroponics Deck aboard the ''Von Braun'', until all 120 are infected by the Annelids. Korenchkin also starts luring crewmembers into the Hydroponics Deck to be infected. Dr. Miller orders chief nurse Loesser to send sixteen of her female nurses to the Hydroponics Bay, where he converts them into Cyborg Midwives. ;July 6 :After further experiments, Malone determines that since reaching Tau Ceti, something has made the lab monkeys gain heightened intelligence and limited psi ability. The monkeys are aware of the vivisections and other experiments that have been performed on them. Malone concludes that the monkeys must be either placed into cryo storage for the remainder of the mission, or liquidated immediately. :Infected crewmembers hack into the Xerxes AI, putting it under the control of the Annelid hive mind. Xerxes stops responding to crew commands. ;July 7 :Dr. Grassi is surprised to encounter a security bot with a message from Dr. Polito saying to put a grunt - [[SOLDIER G65434-2]] - into cryo-recovery; however, the grunt's R-grade cybernetic upgrades were banned forty years ago. :Conditions rapidly deteriorate on the ''Von Braun'' throughout the day. :2:40 hours - Watson "dies" on the table, yet Dr. Watts notes that despite zero respiratory and brain function, the body is still displaying autonomous motor function, as does the parasite. At 08:47 hours, Watson even spoke to one of the nurses. Dr. Watts attempts to perform an autopsy at 16:30 hours, but he and his nurse are attacked by Watson, who has now transformed into an Annelid Hybrid. :[[Grassi]] tells [[Amanpour]] to change the access codes out of Cryo A. He changes it to 45100 *'''July 8''' - At some point between midnight and 05:00 hours, the late night of July 7, security chief [[Melanie Bronson]] manages to get onto the shipwide PA system and declares a state of emergency, and that she is imposing martial law. All primary sub-sectors are to undergo lockdown, and any crewmen who resist security personnel will be shot on sight. With most of the heavy weapons and security measures already compromised, Bronson rallies what security personnel she can (about fourteen or so) with what armaments she can at 05:00 hours, and attempts to storm the Operations Deck at 06:00 hours. *'''July 7''' - Malick hacks the Sim Units, and reprograms three Cyborg Assassins to defend them. *'''July 8''' - Diego lets the worms aboard the UNN ''Rickenbacker'' as well. Croker attempts to contain them in pod 2 by blowing several access ladders. *'''July 9''' - Korenchkin completes his transformation into a [[Psi Reaver]]. *'''July 9''' - Bronson and her security team try to terminate compromised crewmembers, such as Malick. As the situation deteriorates and they don't know who to trust, Bronson's team ultimately begins to shoot anything that moves. Bronson mounts the biggest resistance to the alien infestation, though several unaffected crewmembers such as the Younts are killed, and Bronson gives orders to finish off survivors rather than take chances that they might be infected. *'''July 10''' - Bronson's entire security team has been killed, and she has been mortally wounded, holding her entrails inside of her with both hands. Bronson feels this is bigger than her life, the lives or her men, and the lives of the people she was forced to kill. With her dying breath Bronson urges whoever finds her record to resist. *'''July 10''' - Dr. Polito commits suicide. *'''July 10''' - Aboard the UNN ''Rickenbacker'', the Annelids in pod 2 are able to sabotage the meson accelerator coil, blowing out the entire drive core and six subdecks, and killing many crewmembers. Croker and survivors set up a magnetic shield which manages to (barely) preserve structural integrity in the damaged areas. Croker quarantines the area around the secondary drive coil. *'''July 11''' - SHODAN enlists [[Delacroix]] to attempt to retake control of the ship's systems. July 12, 2114 *SHODAN, in the guise of Dr. Polito, remotely wakes the grunt from cryosleep who she had upgraded with an R-grade cybernetic rig. *By this point only a handful of crewmembers remain alive and uninfected. Among them are [[Delacroix]], [[Chavez]], [[McKay]], Dr. [[Watts]], [[Prefontaine]], [[Rebecca Siddons]] and [[Thomas Suarez]] 2116 [[William Diego]] is the shoo in for Bureaucratic candidate party's nomination for Interior Minister in that year. References